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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. race — a contest
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — a tool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. race — humankind
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. saw — the tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — to crush
  17. band — a music group
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cue — a signal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rash — hasty
  24. band — a ring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com